Before I arrived at K1 Speed and saw theSonic Racing: Crossworldstakeover last week, I figured it could only go one of two ways. Either it was going to be an embarrassing, low effort attempt to brand a go-kart track with Sonic banners and hastily thrown together decorations, or Sega was going to go all out and make it the coolest offsite activity atSan Diego Comic-Con.
Lucky for me, and every other Sonic fan visiting SDCC, it was the latter. I’ve seen Sonic the Hedgehog cafes,Shadow’s motorcycle, and even scarfed downSonic pancakes at IHOP, but K1 Speed takes the chili dog as the most impressive Sonic event yet.
Driving Around At The Speed Of Sound
As soon as I stepped into K1 Speed, my engines were already revvin’. Actually, it was probably the ten foot inflatable Sonic standing on the roof as I drove up that first triggered my need for speed, but I wasn’t totally sold on the experience until I actually stepped inside. K1 Speed is a pretty massive facility, housing a quarter-mile race track as well as a food hall and arcade, and every single inch of it has been transformed into a Sonic the Hedgehog utopia.
The makeover stretched from floor to ceiling. Every wall of the track was covered in custom “Racing Around The World” Sonic art. From the ceiling hung giant inflatables of Sonic and his friends, power ups, and giant ring portals.
To simulate driving through the portal, each section of the track featured a different world. There was a prehistoric segment with a giant Tyrannasaurus Rex cut out, and a pirate-themed world with giant octopus tentacles that stretched over the track, among others. Even the helmets had been redesigned to look like the heads of Sonic characters. If you didn’t know this was a special event, you might just think this was a permanent Sonic-themed go-kart track.
The theming wasn’t restricted to just the track. There was also a podium with a big Crossworlds backdrop; perfect for photo ops (and if I had had a bottle of champagne, I might have been tempted to recreatemy favorite meme). The entire menu was also Sonic themed, featuring six different meals and treats based on different Sonic characters. I had Shadow’s Ultimate Sliders, which were chicken sliders covered in spicy honey. So good.
Perhaps best of all was the Sega Arcade, which featured a dozen classic Sega arcade games like Shinobi, Crazy Taxi, Altered Beast, and Monkey Ball - all on free play. With Shinobi: Art of Vengeance coming soon, the arcade also had a display cabinet filled with Shinobi games. I got so lost in a Golden Ax run that I almost didn’t hear them call my name when it was my turn to race.
When You’re Super Sonic Racing, There’s No Time To Look Around
I only had time for one race so I knew I had to make it count. Everyone got a free head sock featuring Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Amy to wear under your helmet. I decided to go with Knuckles, signalling that I wasn’t going to be the fastest on the track, but I was going to be the toughest. After a quick driving tutorial we climbed into our whips and started to rally. I began in position three, but I’d already decided I was going to end in position one.
If you’ve never been to K1 Speed before, let me tell you, these suckers are fast. These 20-horse power electric karts can reach up to 45mph, which K1 says is the fastest in the industry. When you’re two inches off the ground everything feels much faster too.
When the race started, I stepped on it, only to quickly be reminded of the first law of motion. While the 90lb sixth graders whipped effortlessly around corners, my adult mass sent my back wheels sliding out from under me every time I took a turn too tightly. I had to compensate with wider lines and slower entries into turns, which put me at a disadvantage.
Pretty quickly, my objective shifted from ‘win the race’ to ‘don’t lose the race’ and I decided if I wasn’t going to catch the twerps in front of me, I at least wasn’t going to let any other twerps pass me.
K1 uses different flags to communicate with drivers during the race. If you see someone waving a yellow flag, that means slow down. A white flag means you’re on the last lap, and a black flag means you’re getting kicked off the track for breaking the rules. A blue flag with an orange line through it means there’s a faster racer behind you, and you need to move over so they can pass you. I don’t believe in this flag.
So yeah, long story short, I pinned a kid to a wall as he tried to pass me, and it made him spin out. In my defense, I didn’t actually see him trying to squeeze by me until I was pressing him, but I did see the flag warning me that someone was coming up behind him, and I ignored it. You’re just supposed toletpeople pass you? I thought this was a race.
Maybe Knuckles wouldn’t have approved of my tactics, but when I looked up to see him floating above the race track, he was giving me a thumbs up, so I think it’s okay.
